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Cougar Park

Cougar Park
CougarPark.jpg
Keighley v Featherstone Rovers at Cougar Park in 2007
Full name Cougar Park
Former names Lawkholme Lane (1899–1995)
Location Keighley, West Yorkshire
Coordinates 53°52′31″N 1°54′9″W / 53.87528°N 1.90250°W / 53.87528; -1.90250Coordinates: 53°52′31″N 1°54′9″W / 53.87528°N 1.90250°W / 53.87528; -1.90250
Owner Keighley Cougars
Operator Keighley Cougars
Capacity 7,800
Surface Grass
Construction
Built 1876
Opened 1876
Tenants
Keighley Cougars (1899–)
Silsden F.C. (?–2010)

Cougar Park is a rugby league stadium in Keighley, England, which is the home stadium of Keighley Cougars. Its capacity is 7,800 people. It also hosted a match during the 1995 Rugby League World Cup. From 1899 until 1995, it was known as "Lawkholme Lane". Football was also played at the ground, with Silsden F.C. playing their home matches at the venue until 2010.

Keighley RLFC were formed on 17 October 1876 and were allowed the use of a field in Lawkholme Lane. On 18 November 1876, the first game took place at Lawkholme Lane.

In 1932, with attendances on the rise the directors launched a big scheme of ground improvements. Up to this point Lawkholme Lane had had uncovered terraces and only one open stand on the Stockbridge side of the ground.

The playing area was widened; the turf and appointments were improved, and a spacious covered stand was erected. The new stand and improvements were opened on 9 September 1933 when Leeds were the visitors to Lawkholme Lane.

When Warrington visited Lawkholme Lane in the Challenge Cup there was a crowd of 14,000 who paid £761, then record receipts for the ground.

A fund was launched for the erection of a new stand, new dressing rooms, and other ground improvements. Local tradesmen were approached, collections were taken at matches and the supporters club arranged money-raising efforts. More than £3,000 was donated in the first season.

In 1957, the Keighley board bought Lawkholme Lane football ground, cricket ground, bowling green and cottages 13 acres (53,000 m2) of land in total, from the Duke of Devonshire for £10,000 paid for in sums of £2,500 a year. When the Hard Ings Road by-pass was built Keighley recouped some of their money by selling off a piece of land where cottages had been, for the erection of a petrol station.

In October 1985 Keighley were served a winding-up order by the Inland Revenue. This was only averted by the sale of the cricket field to Keighley Cricket Club for a reported £30,000 and the training pitch to Yorkshire Water for £65,000. Lawkholme Lane was sold in the late 1980s to the Co-op for approximately £10,000 and leased back to the club.


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